POULTRY. 1045 



writer thinks that any bright boy, who desires to try poultry- 

 keeping, and can not afford to build a house, will manage to put 

 up something of the kind, where the fowls can be kept until they 

 earn money enough to pay for a more stylish residence. When 

 one commences the poultry business in the spring with a stock 

 of laying hens, it is not absolutely necessary to build a fowl- 

 house till fall. Let the hens and chickens roost in the trees 

 till cold weather. 



Under the proper heading, I shall have more to say about 

 cheap shelter for poultry. 



Location. When poultry raising is to be made the chief 

 business of the farmer, the location is of no little importance. 

 In selecting a farm for this purpose, convenience to market, the 

 healthfulness of the locality, and the suitability of the soil for 

 the cultivation of the grains and vegetables most needed by 

 the poultry raiser should all be taken into consideration. 



In selecting a site for the poultry-house, the one thing to be 

 avoided is dampness. Damp houses and swampy yards are 

 responsible for a goodly share of the ills that afflict chicken 

 flesh. If the proposed site be not well drained naturally, drain 

 it by artificial means ; it will pay in the long run. In the colder 

 parts of our country a southern exposure is best, and if the 

 house can be so situated that it will be somewhat sheltered from 

 the chilling winds and storms that come from the north and west, 

 so much the better. South hillsides are capital places for poul- 

 try-houses, and when there is one on the farm it should be 

 utilized for that purpose provided it be within a reasonable dis- 

 tance of the other farm buildings. 



Poultry-houses. The chief points to be aimed at in the 

 construction of a fowl-house are, plenty of room, warmth, light, 

 and ventilation, without exposing the fowls to currents of air. 



The size of the building must be determined by the climate 

 and by the number of fowls to be wintered. In those parts of 

 the country where the winters are so severe that the fowls must 

 necessarily be confined indoors for three or four months, the 

 poultry-house should contain three and a half square feet of floor 

 room for every fowl ; and connected with the house there should 



